Actress Zaira Wasim, 17, who courted fame with Dangal and Secret Superstar, says she has been suffering from depression for over four years, but was pushed into a "bubble of denial"
The National Award winner opened up about her struggle via a lengthy post shared on Instagram on Thursday night.
"I'm writing this to (finally) admit and confess that I, for a very long time have been suffering from depression," Zaira Wasim wrote.
Zaira Wasim said she has been "embarrassed and scared" to admit it not only because of the stigma that goes around with the word depression, but most importantly because of always being told that 'You're too young to be depressed' or 'It's just a phase'".
The young and talented girl from Srinagar said she has sometimes popped five anti-depressants everyday, faced anxiety attacks, was rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night, felt empty, restless, anxious and hallucinated, apart from having sore limbs from sleeping too much or not being able to sleep for weeks.
"From overeating to starving myself, unexplained fatigue, body ache, self loathing, nervous breakdowns, suicidal thoughts, were all parts of this phase," said Zaira Wasim, who made her debut with Aamir Khan's 2016 drama Dangal.
Zaira Wasim said she knew something wasn't right for her, however, people and doctors around her told her, "It's nothing, you're too young to be depressed".
Her first panic attack was at the age of 12, and another one at 14.
Zaira Wasim was in the news earlier this year after she spoke up about being molested by a co-passenger in a Delhi-Mumbai flight. “I tried to record it on phone to understand it better. Because the cabin lights were dimmed, I failed to get it,” she had said in a video posted on her Instagram page. “The lights were dimmed, so it was even worse. It continued for another five to ten minutes and then I was sure of it. He kept nudging my shoulder and continued to move his foot up and down my back and neck.”
The video went viral, prompting the Mumbai Police to record Wasim's statement and lodge an FIR. Zaira Wasim's family, however, was initially reluctant to file a complaint. The accused, Vikas Sachdeva, 39, was arrested and charged under sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 and the Indian Penal Code.